Shirahige Shrine

Founded about 2,000 years ago, it is considered to be the oldest shrine in Omi.

The shrine enshrines the deity Sarutahiko-no-mikoto or the Shira deity Shirahige Myojin, and is considered the head shrine of all Shirahige shrines in Japan.

Widely known as “Shirahige-san” or “Myojin-san,” it is the oldest large shrine in Omi and is also called “Itsukushima of Omi” because of its large vermilion-lacquered torii gate floating on the shore of Lake Biwa with Okishima Island in the background.

Boasting a history of more than 2,000 years, the present main shrine was built in 1603 by Toyotomi Hideyori, a son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with Katagiri Katsumoto as magistrate, at the bequest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

The main hall has a clear plan and was connected to the main hall when the worship hall was rebuilt in the Meiji period (1868-1912), resulting in the present complex roof form.

Shirahige Shrine is known as the god of longevity, matchmaking, child bearing, good fortune, academic achievement, traffic safety, and safe navigation. The main deity is Sarutahiko no Mikoto.

In September, a traditional festival called Narukomairi is held. In this festival, a ceremony is held to pray for the safe growth of infants who turn two years old in the counting year and are given names. Many worshippers visit the shrine for the annual festival. The child is given a name for good health and is called by that name for several days.

A monument inscribed with a poem written by Tekkan and Akiko Yosano, a married couple, and Jurojin, one of Nishi-Omi’s Seven Deities of Good Luck, are also enshrined in the precincts of the shrine.

There is a large torii gate in Lake Biwa, and the shrine is located across National Route 161. Okishima Island is in the background of the shrine, and the scenery of fishing boats passing by through the torii gate on the lake is beautiful.

Shirahige Shrine is also known as “Shirahige-daimyojin” or “Hira-myojin. The shrine’s crest is a “left three-tooth banner.

Shirahige Shrine is considered the head shrine of all the Shirahige shrines in Japan, and is also known as “Itsukushima of Omi” because of its floating torii gate on the shore of Lake Biwa with Okishima Island in the background.

In 2015, it was recognized as a Japan Heritage site as a component of the “Lake Biwa and Its Waterside Landscape - Water Heritage of Prayer and Life”.

The deity is Sarutahiko-no-mikoto (Sarutahiko no Mikoto, Sarutahiko Daijin). The name “Hira-gami” in the National History of Japan refers to this shrine, and it is said that the original deity of the shrine was the deity of Mt.

However, the current deity is Sarutahiko-no-mikoto, and it has been pointed out that the shrine is related to Hira Myojin, whose deity is the mountain Hira, which rises behind the shrine.

The origin of Sarutahiko-no-mikoto as the personal deity is not clear, but Sarutahiko-no-mikoto is also mentioned in the “Mio Shrine Mainland Record,” a book of omens and omens of Mizuo Shrine (Haido, Takashima City), which suggests a close relationship between the two shrines.

History

Founding and Mt.

According to our shrine legend, the shrine was built in the 25th year of Emperor Taruhito (the 11th) by Yamahime no Mikoto, and is recognized as the oldest large shrine in Omi (one theory says it was rebuilt). It is also said that in the 2nd year of Hakuho (674), the shrine was given the title of “Hira Myojin” by the Emperor Temmu.

Some believe that the original rituals were related to Mt. Hira, based on the name of the deity “Hirajin” as seen in the National History of Japan.

There is also a theory that the shrine began as a shrine to the ancestral goddess of Omi Province, northern Musashi Province, and Chikuzen Province, where the white-bearded worship spread, because these areas were home to many people who came to Japan from overseas.

In the vicinity of the shrine, a stone chamber of the yokoana style (today’s Iwato-sha, the last shrine) remains in the mountain, and on the summit of the mountain there is a rock formation and a group of burial mounds.

general history

According to the National History of Japan, “Hira-no-kami” was given the rank of “shikonin” in the 7th year of Jougan (865), and this is believed to be related to the Company. However, since the shrine is not mentioned in the Engishiki (Engi Shiki) Shinmeicho, it is considered to be a so-called Kokushiki-Mizusai Shrine.

In a drawing of Hira-sho in 1280, the shrine is described as “Shirahige-Daimyojin” (said to be the first occurrence of “Shirahige”), and in “Taiheiki”, vol. 18, the shrine is also described as “Shirahige Myojin”. The Company is also mentioned as the setting for the song “Shirahige”.

Later, in 1603, the main shrine building (Important Cultural Property) was rebuilt under the order of Toyotomi Hideyori with Katagiri Katsumoto as magistrate, and during the Keicho era (1596-1615), the auxiliary shrines were built and the shrine grounds were improved.

In 1648, the shrine received 100 koku of red seal land, which later became 189 koku or more.

In the Meiji period (1876-1912), the shrine became a township shrine under the modern shrine ranking system, and in 1922, it was promoted to a prefectural shrine.

Divine Rank

On the 18th day of the 7th year of the Jougan Era (865), Hira-no-kami was granted the rank of shinzoku (the fourth rank below the priesthood) from the rank of nokunin.

Precincts

The precincts of the shrine were laid out by Toyotomi Hideyori during the Keicho era (1596-1615).

Honden (Important Cultural Property): Built in 1603.
Built in 1603 (Keicho 8). It was built by carpenters in Harima Province under the direction of Toyotomi Hideyori. The square main hall is of the irimoya style, with muko-ha and decorations characteristic of the Momoyama period. The worship hall was rebuilt in the Meiji period (1868-1912), and a composite shrine style was adopted. In addition to the main shrine, there are four other shrines within the precincts that were built during the same Keicho period.

Worship hall:.
The worship hall was rebuilt in 1879 (Meiji 12) in the shikumon-zukuri style with a frontage of 3 ken (3 m) by 2 ken (2 m).

Emaden (votive tablet) Hall: Originally built in 1616, this hall was rebuilt in 1879.
Originally built as a worship hall in 1624 by Mitsunobu Bunbu, lord of the Omizo domain.

Shrine Office (National Tangible Cultural Property)
Built in 1932, this shoin-style building has a medieval atmosphere. It is recognized as a National Tangible Cultural Property. In front of the shrine office, there is a monument with a poem written by Tekkan and Akiko Yosano when they visited the shrine.

Otorii (Grand Gate) in Lake Biwa

The Otorii (Grand Gate) was built in the middle of Lake Biwa and has become the symbol of Shirohage Shrine. It was depicted on land in a drawing made in 1280 (Koan 3), but later, as the water level of Lake Biwa rose, it is said to have come to stand in the water.

In the Eigenbuchan, there is an article about the appearance of Hanaomote from the lake in September 1562 (Eiroku 5). Based on this legend, Kyubei Konishi, a drug wholesaler in Osaka City, donated the torii gate in 1937, and the present gate was rebuilt in 1981.

Precincts and Traffic Accidents

Traffic accidents have frequently occurred due to worshippers crossing Route 161 to view the Otorii. The shrine has called for a ban on crossing, but accidents continue to occur. The Torii in the lake can be photographed from the “Aiko Shirahigedai,” an observatory set up in front of the shrine office.